I have a Windows 7 image which I intend to deploy across a business. For simplicity I intend to install BGInfo on each machine and have it update each time a user logs in. From what I can see, when BGInfo creates a configuration file, the file contains variables which are local to each account – and therefore the configuration file will only work on the user account that created it.
Does anyone have any idea as to how make these configuration files 'generic' so that BGInfo will work for all accounts when they log in? At present I have the BGInfo application and a BGInfo configuration file saved on the C drive and I have written a batch file which is stored in the 'All Users/Start Menu/Startup' directory (which executes every time any user on the computer logs in), however this only works for the account which created the configuration file.
Best Answer
Yes, this can be done. Just don't use a batch, use the Run key in the registry. Install BGInfo to either program files or windows and keep the bgi file in there as well.
We did this for our images at the last company I worked for and it was great, we would have the corporate approved wallpaper stamped with logon time, IP, hostname, all that good info everytime a user logged in. We just added a run entry in the registry. Users were free to change their wallpaper, but after every login it restamped it, the users all just eventually gave up.
Try adding it in your image. You may also get away with mounting the image, adding the .exe and bgi file and mounting the registry and adding it to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Use the syntax below for reference.
"C:\Program Files\BGInfo\Custom.bgi /timer:0 /silent /nolicprompt"
If you're using MDT (which I highly recomend) Johan Arwidmark over at deployment research has a glorious script he wrote that will do this as part of his Hydration Kit, it's called Install-BGInfo.wsf.
http://deploymentresearch.com/DRFiles/HydrationCM2012R2.zip